One thing that makes diamonds so valuable is their extreme hardness. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral. "A diamond can be used to cut another diamond. The only other material that can scratch a diamond is borazon, an artificial substance first made in 1957. This hardness is the reason why diamonds, in addition to being dazzling gem stones, are especially useful to industry.
Rarity is another thing that enhances the value of diamonds. They are 120 times rarer than gold. In some places workers must process 250 tons of earth, gravel and rock to find a total weight of only one or two carats in diamonds.
The value of a diamond depends in large measure on its purity, that is, freedom from flaws such as pores, cracks and spots of uncrystallized carbon. The monarch of precious stones comes in many colors, yellow and brown being the most common. But they also turn up red, green, black and sometimes, though rarely, blue. Most rough diamonds have eight sides and are shaped like a double pyramid. Some have twelve, twenty-four or forty-eight sides; others are cube-shaped, with only six sides.
Rarity is another thing that enhances the value of diamonds. They are 120 times rarer than gold. In some places workers must process 250 tons of earth, gravel and rock to find a total weight of only one or two carats in diamonds.
The value of a diamond depends in large measure on its purity, that is, freedom from flaws such as pores, cracks and spots of uncrystallized carbon. The monarch of precious stones comes in many colors, yellow and brown being the most common. But they also turn up red, green, black and sometimes, though rarely, blue. Most rough diamonds have eight sides and are shaped like a double pyramid. Some have twelve, twenty-four or forty-eight sides; others are cube-shaped, with only six sides.
